USCIS adopted decision · Citizenship

Matter of Warrach

17 I&N Dec. 285 (Reg. Comm'r 1979)

Regional Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service3 original pages

The applicant, a lawful permanent resident employed by a New Jersey-incorporated subsidiary wholly owned by a West German parent, was sent to Germany for two years and sought to preserve residence for naturalization under INA section 316(b). The Regional Commissioner held that because more than 51 percent of the subsidiary's stock was held by a foreign parent, the employer was a foreign rather than an American corporation, so the application did not satisfy section 316(b) and the denial was affirmed.

Rule cited

Incorporation in a U.S. state does not by itself make a firm an American corporation; nationality is determined by the nationality of those owning more than 51 percent of the stock. Where a foreign parent holds over 51 percent of a subsidiary's stock, the subsidiary is a foreign corporation and its employee cannot preserve residence under section 316(b) on that basis.

Scope of application

Applies to applications to preserve residence for naturalization under INA section 316(b) in determining whether the employing corporation is an American firm; it addresses only corporate nationality, not other naturalization requirements. USCIS policy manual cites this rule when the applicant cannot meet the publicly held corporation standard of Matter of Chawathe, determining corporate nationality by majority ownership.

Official citation and verification records

Checked:2026-11-04 · Official decision source

The records identify official use of the cited rule. A partial reversal, statutory amendment or controlling court ruling may affect its scope.

Complete reference translation, organized by original page and paragraph. Headings, citations and footnotes are retained. The English document is the official text.

Original page 1

Interim Decision II 2769

临时决定 II 2769

MATTER OF WARRACH

WARRACH 案

In Section 316(b) Proceedings to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes

在为入籍目的保留居留权的第316(b)条程序中

A-20614277

A-20614277

Decided by Regional Commissioner March 16, 1979

由区域专员于1979年3月16日决定

An Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes under section 316(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1427(b), does not lie, and will be denied, where the employing corporation (which is incorporated in the United States) is the subsidiary of a foreign parent corporation which holds over 51 percent of its stock. Under these circumstances, the employing corporation is not an American corporation, but a foreign corporation, having the nationality of the majority stockholders.

依据《移民与国籍法》第316(b)条、8 U.S.C. 1427(b),为入籍目的保留居留权的申请,在雇用公司(该公司在美国注册成立)为一家持有其超过51%股份的外国母公司的子公司的情况下,不能成立,并将被拒绝。在此情形下,雇用公司不是美国公司,而是一家外国公司,具有多数股东的国籍。

ON BEHALF OF APPLICANT. D. G. Reese, Manager Foreign Transfer Programs Mobay Chemical Corporation Parkway West Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15205

代表申请人。D. G. Reese,经理 对外调动项目 Mobay Chemical Corporation Parkway West Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15205

This case is • before us on appeal from the decision of the District Director, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dated October 13, 1978, denying the appellant's Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes under 316(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1427(b). The application was denied upon the ground that the appellant was not employed by an American firm or corporation, within the meaning of section 316(b) of the Act. Upon appeal, the appellant does not take issue with the basis of the Philadelphia District Director's denial order but urges, instead, that the appellant's absence from the United States is necessary to the protection of certain corpOrate property rights located abroad of the American subsidiary of the foreign parent corporation which employs the appellant. The appellant became a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States on November 12, 1974. He has resided in the United States for an uninterrupted period of at least 1 year from that date. He has been employed by the Mobay Chemical Corporation of Pittsburgh,

本案因不服宾夕法尼亚州费城地区主任1978年10月13日的决定而提交本院,该决定拒绝了上诉人依据《移民与国籍法》第316(b)条、8 U.S.C. 1427(b)为入籍目的保留居留权的申请。该申请被拒绝的理由是,上诉人不属于该法第316(b)条所指的美国商号或公司雇用。 在上诉中,上诉人并未对费城地区主任拒绝令的依据提出异议,而是主张,上诉人离开美国对于保护雇用上诉人的外国母公司的美国子公司位于国外的某些公司财产权是必要的。 上诉人于1974年11月12日成为美国的合法永久居民外国人。自该日起,其已在美国连续居住至少1年。其自1973年11月起受雇于匹兹堡的Mobay Chemical Corporation,

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Original page 2

Interim Decision # 2769

临时决定 # 2769

Pennsylvania, since November 1973. Mobay Chemical Corporation was incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey on October 1, 1971. The corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bayer A.G. of West Germany. The appellant was sent to the parent company in Germany on October 1, 1978, to develop European markets for a product developed by his American-based employer. His overseas em- ployment will necessitate his presence in Germany from October 1, 1978, to September 30, 1980. Pursuant thereto, the appellant submitted an Application to Preserve. Residence for Naturalization Purposes, Form N-470, on May 23, 1978, under the provisions of section 316(b) of the Act. The application was denied by the Philadelphia District Director on October 13, 1978, and this appeal results. Section 316(b) of the Actl requires an alien, if he wishes to preserve residence for naturalization purposes, to have been physically present and residing in the United States, after being lawfully admitted for permanent residence, for an uninterrupted period of at least 1 year prior to his employment abroad. His employment in this connection must be by an American firm or corporation engaged in whole or in part in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States, or a subsidiary thereof more than 50 percent of whose stock is owned by an American firm or corporation. The appellant must estab- lish, therefore, that he has complied with this statutory requirement if he is to obtain extended absence benefits covering his employment abroad by the Mobay Chemical Corporation at the Bayer A.G. in Germany from October 1, 1978, to September 30, 1980. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has previously held that when it is shown that 51 percent or more of the stock of the employer corporation is owned by a foreign firm, such firm is a "foreign

宾夕法尼亚州,自1973年11月起。Mobay Chemical Corporation于1971年10月1日根据新泽西州法律注册成立。该公司是西德Bayer A.G.的全资子公司。上诉人于1978年10月1日被派往德国的母公司,为其美国雇主开发的一项产品开拓欧洲市场。其海外任职将需要其于1978年10月1日至1980年9月30日期间在德国境内。据此,上诉人于1978年5月23日根据该法第316(b)条的规定提交了保留归化目的居留的申请,表格N-470。该申请于1978年10月13日被费城地区主任驳回,本上诉由此产生。 该法第316(b)条要求外国人,如果其希望保留归化目的的居留,必须在合法获准永久居留后、在其海外任职之前,已在美国实际居留和居住不少于1年的不间断期间。其与此相关的任职必须受雇于全部或部分从事美国对外贸易和商业发展的美国商号或公司,或受雇于其股票50%以上由美国商号或公司拥有的子公司。因此,上诉人必须证明其已遵守该法定要求,才能获得涵盖其于1978年10月1日至1980年9月30日期间在德国Bayer A.G.受雇于Mobay Chemical Corporation的海外任职的延长离境福利。 移民和归化局此前曾认定,当表明雇主公司51%或以上的股票由外国商号拥有时,该商号即为“外国

Sec. 816(b). Absence from the United States for a continuous period of one year or more during the period for which continuous residence is required for admission to citizen- ship shall break the continuity of such residence except that in the case of a person who has been physically present and residing in the United States after being lawfully admitted for permanent residence for an uninterrupted period of at least one year and who thereafter, is employed ... by an American firm or corporation engaged in whole or in part in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States, or a subsidiary thereof more than 50 per centum of whose stock is owned by an American firm or corporation ... no period of absence from the United States shall break the continuity of residence if— (1) prior to the beginning of such period of employment (whether such period begins before or after his departure from the United States), but prior to the expiration of one year of continuous absence from the United States, the person has established to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that his absence from the United States for such period is ... to he engaged in the development of such foreign trade and commerce ..

第816(b)条。 在为入籍所需连续居留的期间内,连续离开美国一年或一年以上的,应中断该居留的连续性,但以下情形除外:某人经合法获准永久居留后,已在美国实际居留并居住至少一年不间断期间,其后受雇于……一家全部或部分从事美国对外贸易与商业发展的美国商号或公司,或受雇于其子公司,该子公司50%以上的股份由一家美国商号或公司拥有……则任何离开美国的期间均不中断居留的连续性,如果—— (1) 在该雇佣期间开始之前(无论该期间始于其离开美国之前还是之后),但在连续离开美国满一年之前,该人已使司法部长确信,其为该期间离开美国是……从事该对外贸易与商业的发展……

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Interim Decision #2769

临时决定 #2769

corporation" within the meaning of section 316(b). 2 The fact that a firm is incorporated under the laws of a state of the United States does not necessarily determine that it is an American firm or corporation. The nationality of such firm would be determined by the nationality of those persons who own more than 51 percent of the stock of that firm. Since that principal stockholder of Mobay Chemical Corporation is Bayer A.G., a German corporation, the American-based subsidiary must be considered a foreign corporation for purposes of preservation of residence under section 316(b) of the Act. Accordingly, it must be concluded that the appellant's application does not come within the purview of section 316(b). Based upon the foregoing, the appellant has not complied with the specific statutory requirement that an alien who seeks to preserve residence for naturalization purposes under section 316(b) must estab- lish that he is employed by an American firm or corporation. There is no provision of law or regulations which permits a waiver of this requirement. It is, therefore, concluded that the action of the Philadel- phia District Director in denying the application to preserve residence was proper, and his decision will be affirmed. ORDER: The decision of the District Director, Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, dated October 13, 1978, denying the application of the above named to preserve residence for naturalization purposes be and the same is, hereby, affirmed.

属于第316(b)条含义内的“公司”。2 一家公司依美国某州法律注册成立这一事实,并不必然决定其是美国公司或企业。此类公司的国籍应由拥有该公司超过51%股份的人士的国籍决定。由于Mobay Chemical Corporation的主要股东是Bayer A.G.,一家德国公司,因此就本法第316(b)条项下保留居所而言,这家总部位于美国的子公司必须被视为外国公司。据此,必须认定上诉人的申请不属于第316(b)条的适用范围。 基于上述,上诉人未遵守具体的法定要求,即根据第316(b)条寻求为归化目的保留居所的外国人必须证明其受雇于美国公司或企业。法律或法规中没有任何规定允许豁免此项要求。因此,认定费城地区主任拒绝保留居所申请的行为是适当的,其决定将予维持。 命令:宾夕法尼亚州费城地区主任于1978年10月13日作出的、拒绝上述具名人士为归化目的保留居所的申请的决定,特此维持。

Matter of N—S—, 7 1&14 Dec. 426 (D.D. 1957; C.O. 1957).

Matter of N—S—, 7 1&14 Dec. 426 (D.D. 1957; C.O. 1957)。

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